title: The HOT (Healthy Outcome for Teens) project. Using a web-based medium to influence attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intention for obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention.
abstract: We hypothesized that Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs (behavioral belief, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, knowledge and behavioral intention) regarding preventive behaviors for obesity and type 2 diabetes will change favorably after completing the web-based intervention, HOT (Healthy Outcome for Teens) project, grounded in the TPB; and that passive online learning (POL) group will improve more than the active online learning (AOL) group. The secondary hypothesis was to determine to what extent constructs of the TPB predict intentions. 216 adolescents were recruited, 127 randomly allocated to the treatment group (AOL) and 89 to the control group (POL). The subjects completed a TPB questionnaire pre and post intervention. Both POL and AOL groups showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest survey. However, the results indicated no significant difference between POL and AOL for all constructs except behavioral belief. Correlational analysis indicated that all TPB constructs were significantly correlated with intentions for pretest and posttest for both groups. Attitude and behavioral control showed strongest correlations. Regression analysis indicated that TPB constructs were predictive of intentions and the predictive power improved post intervention. Behavioral control consistently predicted intentions for all categories and was the strongest predictor for pretest scores. For posttest scores, knowledge and attitude were the strongest predictors for POL and AOL groups respectively. Thus, HOT project improved knowledge and the TPB constructs scores for targeted behaviors, healthy eating and physical activity, for prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 343 Bevier Hall, 905 W. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Electronic address: muzaffa1@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Henna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muzaffar
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chapman-Novakofski
authors.forename: Darla M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D032763:Behavior Control; D003469:Culture; D003625:Data Collection; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D020407:Internet; D007858:Learning; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescents; Healthy eating; Internet; Physical activity; Theory of Planned Behavior; Type 2 diabetes